Opposition demands answers over Orica ship

The State Opposition is calling on the Premier to explain to Newcastle residents how long Orica will be allowed to store thousands of tonnes of explosive material on a ship off the city's coast.

Orica says it has received the necessary permits to store ammonium nitrate on the ship while it upgrades its Kooragang Island plant.

The Maritime Union of Australia says the ship being used is "dangerously sub-standard" and described it as one of the worst vessels it has ever seen.

Deputy Opposition Leader and spokeswoman for the Hunter, Linda Burney says the Government promised tighter regulation for Orica, but it seems corners are still being cut.

"What I want to know is how this situation has come about and why it wasn't made public to the people of the Hunter?," she said.

"How long are those explosives going to be stored on that ship off the coast of Newcastle and when is that ship coming in to Newcastle harbour?"

Newcastle Greens Councillor Michael Osborne says some residents are concerned the storage of the material off the coast could cause a fatal accident.

"Many people in the community have been comparing this particular circumstance with a 1947 accident that occurred in Texas, where this sort of material stored on a ship caught on fire and ended up killing hundreds of people and destroying an area all round where the ship was berthed," he said.

"So that's a big concern I think for people in Newcastle."

Newcastle MP Tim Owen says residents should not be concerned.

"This is a standard procedure that they go through," he said.

"They're doing some plant shutdown, they've got to store some ammonium nitrate for their requirements and they square a procedure away with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for it to be stored on ship.

"So as far as I'm I know they're complying with everything that they're required to in an legislative sense.

"So I don't think residents should be concerned, it's offshore after all."